Rate Of Uninsured Americans Forecast To Reach 8.9% Over Next 10 Years
June 20, 2024
Morning Briefing
More than 25 million people currently lack coverage, CBO reports. Also, researchers found that ailing Americans spend roughly two weeks a year working among colleagues rather than staying home to tend to their illnesses.
Medicare Patients To Get Access To Amazon RxPass’ $5-A-Month Plan
June 20, 2024
Morning Briefing
Amazon Pharmacy is extending its RxPass prescription plans to Medicare enrollees. The service allows customers to fill and have delivered as many prescriptions as they need from a list of about 50 generic medications—for $5 a month. Other Medicare news reports on its star ratings.
FLiRT Variant Is Fueling Covid Reinfections In California
June 20, 2024
Morning Briefing
As the Golden State sees a summer surge in cases, public health officials are worried their preparedness plans might not be enough to tackle more growing threats.
Massachusetts 911 Outage, Blamed On Firewall Glitch, Exposes System’s Risks
June 20, 2024
Morning Briefing
Although dispatchers couldn’t receive calls, they were able see the phone numbers of callers and reach out to them. Also in the news: Utah and Florida target transgender rules while Texas looks at maternal mortality and a memory loss care center.
First Edition: June 20, 2024
June 20, 2024
Morning Briefing
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Experts: US Hospitals Prone to Cyberattacks Like One That Hurt Patient Care at Ascension
By Rachana Pradhan Kate Wells, Michigan Public
June 20, 2024
KFF Health News Original
Clinicians working for Ascension hospitals in multiple states described harrowing lapses, including delayed or lost lab results, medication errors, and an absence of routine safety checks to prevent potentially fatal mistakes.
A Tale of Two States: Arizona and Florida Diverge on How To Expand Kids’ Health Insurance
By Daniel Chang
June 20, 2024
KFF Health News Original
Both Florida and Arizona want to expand eligibility for the Children’s Health Insurance Program, known as CHIP, but their approaches to charging low-income families premiums for the coverage showcase the nation’s ideological divide on helping the disadvantaged.
‘We’re Flying Blind’: CDC Has 1M Bird Flu Tests Ready, but Experts See Repeat of Covid Missteps
By Amy Maxmen
June 20, 2024
KFF Health News Original
Three months into the U.S. bird flu outbreak, only 45 people have been tested. Laboratories that are the foundation of diagnostic testing have yet to get approval to detect the bird flu virus. They say their path forward has been slowed by miscommunication and uncertainty from the CDC and FDA.
Presidential Politics, Polka and Wisconsin
By Angela Hart
June 18, 2024
KFF Health News Original
Wisconsin, the land of fried cheese curds and the Green Bay Packers, is one of a half-dozen key battleground states where President Biden is trying to make health care a key issue in his expected November matchup with former president Donald Trump. Biden narrowly won Wisconsin in 2020, after it went for Trump in 2016. […]
Viewpoints: The Reality Of Living With Long Covid; A Report On Excess Mortality Should Be Retracted
June 18, 2024
Morning Briefing
Editorial writers examine covid, reproductive rights, and cannabis.
Federal Judge Squelches Trans Student Protections In Another 6 States
June 18, 2024
Morning Briefing
U.S. District Judge Danny C. Reeves, a George W. Bush nominee, temporarily halted enforcement of changes to Title IX designed to protect trans students from discrimination in schools that get government funding. Reeves said the changes were “arbitrary and capricious rulemaking.”
The American Diet Might Have Turned Corner, No Longer As Unhealthy: Study
June 18, 2024
Morning Briefing
An analysis of two decades of nutritional data shows that Americans may have begun to eat a little healthier, with some restaurants and brands playing along. But there’s still a long way to go. Also in the news: health issues in older women, the benefits of drinking coffee, and more.
Mpox Cases Spike In Los Angeles County
June 18, 2024
Morning Briefing
Alarmed by the sudden increase, officials advise anyone who shows symptoms—rash, sores, fever, aches—to seek immediate medical attention. In other news, scientists have found that U.S. citizens have very little, if any, immunity to the H5N1 bird flu virus.
Side Effects Of Drugs Like Leqembi Masked By ‘ARIA’ Acronym, Some Say
June 18, 2024
Morning Briefing
Far from an operatic solo, ARIA (amyloid-related imaging abnormalities) may be being used as a “soothing” term to obscure potentially fatal side effects of Alzheimer’s drugs, doctors say. Separately, a new Alzheimer’s blood test is offering faster, highly accurate diagnoses.
Morning Briefing for Tuesday, June 18, 2024
June 18, 2024
Morning Briefing
KFF Health News’ Morning Briefing will not be published tomorrow, June 19, in observance of Juneteenth. Look for it again in your inbox Thursday.
CMS To End Advance-Payment Program For Those Affected By Hack
June 18, 2024
Morning Briefing
The program, launched in March in the aftermath of the Change Healthcare cyberattack, sent advance payments to providers whose operations were disrupted. CMS also announced a do-over of 2024 quality scores for Medicare Advantage plans.
Health Care Gap Shrank From 2019-23, But ‘Unwinding’ Might Undo Some Of It
June 18, 2024
Morning Briefing
Preliminary survey results released Tuesday by the U.S. National Center for Health Statistics showed that in 2023, 25 million Americans of all ages were uninsured, down from 33.2 million in 2019, Bloomberg reported. Plus: medical debt forgiveness.
Mysterious Residue On Equipment Has Delayed Hundreds Of Surgeries In Colo.
June 18, 2024
Morning Briefing
Initial testing on the substance — previously described as black flecks on reusable surgical instruments at Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center — came back as inconclusive. Also: Hospital-at-home nurses at Boston’s Mass General Brigham have voted to unionize.
Rule Granting Time Off For Abortion Doesn’t Apply In La., Miss., Judge Rules
June 18, 2024
Morning Briefing
While case is pending, the EEOC cannot enforce the abortion provision against the Catholic plaintiffs and employers in those states. Other abortion-related cases are in Missouri and South Dakota.
First Edition: June 18, 2024
June 18, 2024
Morning Briefing
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations. Note to readers: KFF Health News’ First Edition will not be published tomorrow, June 19, in observance of Juneteenth. Look for it again in your inbox Thursday.
